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Saturday, January 28, 2012

Beer Night in Buenos Aires - Round III

Here is a rundown of the third beer dinner in Buenos Aires. Big thanks to Magdalena's Party for letting me use their venue, Bodega Cervecera for the beer, La Francisca for the cheese and Sugar and Spice for the Parmesan cookies we used. The biggest hand of all goes to those who attended. This was the biggest yet with 23 people.

Sixtofer IPA - This is the best IPA* I have had in Argentina so far. I was really impressed when I first tried it. It is a little more like a North American IPA, but isn't excessively hoppy. It has a solid malt flavour, bitter but not too bitter and a great resin/pine smell. The quality is extremely high.

We tried this with the awesome curry and sugar fries I have used in previous tastings.

Die Eisenbrucke Kolsch - This is a great example of a Kolsch. It is not very hoppy (you get a distinct hop note with some examples in Cologne) but has a nice bitter accent and a kind of buttery mango fruitiness to it. Die Eisenbrucke is becoming one of my go-to breweries. They just put out a Weizen and a 15% Imperial Stout. Both are great beers. I really liked the Weizen. There are not so many Argentine versions readily available and it is hot out right now. Great combo.

We had this with pizza. Beer and pizza isn't the most creative combination in the world, but it is something people understand and enjoy. Plus Magdalena's makes a good pizza.

Gulmen Smoked Lager - I thought this would get mixed results. It is a very good beer, but I thought the smokey taste might put some people off. I was wrong. This was easily the most loved beer of the night and we actually ran out because I was topping up everybody's glass. Next time I will bring more.

We had this with two cheeses (a queso criolla and a smoked cheese) and some Parmesan walnut crackers from Sugar and Spice.

The evening was sadly marred by a theft. My girlfriend's purse was snatched and we didn't realize what happened until it was too late. A guest of the beer tasting also had her purse taken from off of her chair. This kind of thing happens frequently in Buenos Aires. Live here long enough and it is just a matter of time before something gets stolen from you. Nobody is invincible and you need to keep your wits about you.

Not trying to scare anyone from coming to Buenos Aires (or to my next beer night!) just giving you a heads up. Things happen. Don't be afraid, just be aware. Go about your business and don't let anything stop you from enjoying life and getting things done.

*I'm only counting 'regular' IPAs here. Cork IPA makes a great Black IPA and other variations. Another straight-up IPA I like is El Buho.

This place is cozy and trendy, the exposed brick wall behind the bar looks rich with age. I loved the live DJ playing great jams that I could move my shoulders to, yet also have a great conversation with friends. Loved it.